10th Annual Community Book Drive
Books collected from August 1 – September 14, 2023
For All Ages! (Especially Children)
September 22, 2023 Update: 13,036 Books Collected with Community Book Drive!
After a month and a half of collecting books for the Community Book Drive, the effort culminated with the Day of Caring book sorting. A group of 40+ volunteers sorted, counted, and boxed 13,036 books! Around 3,000 in the birth-5 age range received stickers with reading tips. These books will be distributed to children ages birth-5 at the Community Book Warehouse, and all the other books went to the United Way’s Books United program to distribute throughout the community as needed, with a focus on vulnerable youths and adults.
This is the 10th year of the book drive with more than 126,000 books collected over the years. Most have gone to vulnerable children to help with literacy and school readiness.
The Community Book Drive is a partnership of HARC, the United Way of Washington County, the Judy Center and the Early Childhood Advisory Council. Special thanks to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for hosting the Day of Caring book sorting with awesome volunteers and a great gym.
Thanks to all the houses of worship (21 in total), businesses, organizations and individuals who collected books! (See the full list of collection sites below.) Thanks to our pick up volunteers who drove around and picked them up, hauling them to the LDS church, and to Weiss Brothers for hauling 5 pallets of books to the United Way’s warehouse after the sorting.
Thank you also to all of the volunteers who helped with the mass sorting project in record time! Groups from the Judy Center, Reach, the Library, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Hagerstown Rotary Club, Hagerstown Healthcare, and individuals from churches and the United Way made this huge project fast and FUN.
Finally, a shout out to our amazing planning team: Terri Gwizdala (co-leader), Kelli Tencer (United Way), Kim Halsey, Kathy Kerns, Elaine Rose, Jocelyn Hauer, Kendal Neel, and Kathy Powderly (co-leader).
The Community Book Drive is truly a community effort and example of Living United in Washington County, and the power of faith communities (and community members) working together.
History
The Community Book Drive was launched in 2012 by the Hagerstown Rotary Club, Hagerstown Area Religious Council and the United Way of Washington County as a way to improve children’s literacy rates in Washington County. Partners now include the Washington County Early Childhood Advisory Council and the Judy Center. The 2023 collection expanded to include books for teens and adults.
2023 Community Book Drive
Everyone can collect books! Work with your house of worship, civic group, business, and other organizations to collect new or gently used books (please no text books or encyclopedias). Books for children ages birth to 11 are preferred. If you’re purchasing new books and want suggestions, a list of Recommended Books is below. If you want to support the effort without donating books, donations of funds to purchase books are gratefully accepted and will be used to purchase new books at about half the retail cost, so your funds will go twice as far! To donate financially, you can:
- Mail a check to HARC, P.O. Box 1158, Hagerstown, MD 21741-1158
- Use our online donation form and mark “book drive” in the designation field.
Posters/flyers for collection sites and distribution:
About the Book Drive
Collection Sites Flyer (Updated 9/5/2023)
Recommended Children’s Books
Drop off Here Vertical
Drop off Here Horizontal
Top 10 Reasons
Top 10 Reasons – Insert
In addition to the “Recommended Books,” we also suggest books that reflect diversity as those are greatly needed
If your group would like to collect books for the book drive, please contact Terri Gwizdala at gwizzy2000@gmail.com or Kathy Powderly at director@harccoalition.org or 301-842-4272.
Books will be collected at the following participating locations
Collection sites accepting public drop-offs:
A to Z Insurance Services
10226 Governor Lane Blvd, Suite 4007, Williamsport. Mon-Fri 9-5.
Break Away II
13726 Pennsylvania Avenue, Hagerstown. Hours: 11am – 12am
Center for Education Services (CES) for Washington County Public Schools
10435 Downsville Pike, Hagerstown – Visitor entrance to CES
Aug 1 – Aug 21: M-Th 8 am – 4:30 pm, After Aug 21: M-F 8 am – 4:30 pm
Christ’s Reformed Church & HARC office
130 W. Franklin St., Hagerstown. M-Th 8-3, Friday 8-2.
Congregation B’nai Abraham
53 E. Baltimore Street, Hagerstown. Friday 6:30-7:30 pm , Sunday 10 am – noon.
F&M Trust
83 W. Washington Street, Hagerstown. M-F 9 am – 3 pm
First Christian Church
1345 Potomac Ave, Hagerstown. M-F 9-12. Books will be in the lobby by the security desk.
John Wesley United Methodist Church
Lotus Moon
Mulberry Lofts
22 N. Mulberry Street in the Lobby during business hours.
Rehoboth United Methodist Church
16829 Lappans Rd. Williamsport. Books can be dropped off anytime at the cross at the building entrance.
Studio B Salon & Spa, Inc.
13710 Pennsylvania Avenue, Hagerstown. Tu: 9a – 3p; W: 9a – 8p; Th: 9a – 8p; F: 9a – 8p; S: 9a – 4p
Truist Bank
1800 Dual Hwy STE 100 Ste 100, Hagerstown. M-Th 9 am – 5 pm, Fri 9 am-6 pm, Sat. 9 am-Noon
Western Maryland Hospital Center
1500 Pennsylvania Ave., Hagerstown
Zion Reformed UCC
201 N. Potomac St., Hagerstown. M0n-Fri 9-noon.
Collection sites with internal collections only (no drop-offs, please):
Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Concordia Lutheran Church
Hagerstown Church of the Brethren
Hagerstown Health: Chiropractic & Physical Therapy
Hagerstown Rotary Club
Hagerstown Sunrise Rotary Club
Hebron Mennonite Church
Horizon Goodwill Industries
Otterbein United Methodist Church
Register of Wills for Washington County
St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church
St. John’s Episcopal Church
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
United Way of Washington County
Unitarian Universalist Church of Hagerstown
Unity of Hagerstown
Volvo
Washington County Health Department
Welty Church of the Brethren
Women’s Club
Zion Lutheran Church
Books will be picked up from participating collection sites September 14-20 by volunteer drivers. Books will be sorted and counted on the United Way Day of Caring, Thursday, September 21 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hagerstown. Collected books will be distributed throughout the community to vulnerable children and early childhood literacy programs by way of the Community Book Warehouse.
